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Carolco Pictures
Carolco Pictures, Inc., Carolco International N.V., or Anabasis Investments was an independent production company, that within a decade went from producing such blockbuster successes as Terminator 2: Judgment Day and the Rambo series to being made bankrupt by bombs such as Cutthroat Island and Showgirls before being revived as a unit of C2 Pictures. History The company was founded by two film investors, Mario Kassar and Andrew Vajna, as Anabasis Investments. Their goal was to make their new studio a major independent production company producing A-movie product. Their earliest films were co-produced with Canadian theater magnate Garth Drabinsky. Jose Menendez was a member of the Board of Directors of Carolco in August 1989, when he and his wife were murdered by their sons Lyle and Erik Menendez. One of the first Anabasis/Carolco films was First Blood (1982), followed by the sequel Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) (released the year it was renamed Carolco) with Sylvester Stallone (who later signed a ten-picture deal with the studio). The release of Rambo: First Blood Part II was so instrumental to Carolco's financial success that from then on, the music of the company's logo utilizes the first stanza of its famous score, written by Jerry Goldsmith. Also in 1985, Carolco started a distribution deal with then-fledging production company TriStar Pictures. TriStar released a majority of Carolco's films from that point on (but not all) in the U.S. and some international countries until 1994. In 1990, Carolco went on to acquire the rights to the Terminator franchise from Hemdale Film Corporation. The company re-hired Terminator director James Cameron (who had also worked as a screenwriter on Rambo), and Arnold Schwarzenegger to star, in a multi-million-dollar budgeted sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (released in 1991). It was the highest-grossing film of its year, and as it turned out, the most successful film in Carolco's history. After selling his partnership with Kassar, Vajna created a sister studio to Carolco, Cinergi Pictures, in 1992. Cinergi started to release films from The Walt Disney Company through Hollywood Pictures and Touchstone Pictures. In later years, Carolco acquired television syndicator Orbis Communications and initiated television production and distribution. They also purchased the former De Laurentiis Entertainment Group production facility in North Carolina (where the television series Matlock was partially filmed), and established a home video division (with LIVE Entertainment, later Artisan Entertainment and Lions Gate Home Entertainment, as output partner). Carolco struggled for some years to secure the rights to Spider-Man, a property that James Cameron was keen to produce as a film. Plans fell through, although it would eventually be made as a Sam Raimi film for Columbia Pictures. As budgets for their feature films grew, the box-office intake fell. Following the disastrous releases of Cutthroat Island and Showgirls in 1995, Carolco went bankrupt and the company closed soon after. Out of the ashes rose a new partnership between Carolco's owner (Mario Kassar) and Cinergi's owner (Andrew G. Vajna): C2 Pictures. It has two divisions, one of them a newly-reformed Carolco, also headed by Kassar. On December 17, 2008, Viz Media announced that on April 1, 2009, their current rights to the Pokémon franchise would revert to Carolco. Interestingly, the company that distributes the majority of Carolco's pre-1996 library, Lionsgate, distributed the Pokémon movies in theatres in association with C2 Pictures, Carolco's parent company, and (for the ninth and tenth movie) Universal Pictures from the eighth movie to the tenth. Carolco's pre-1996 library today The assets of Carolco were later sold off to other companies, most already sold during Carolco's existence. Today, the ancillary rights to a majority of Carolco's pre-1996 library are held by French production company StudioCanal, while CBS Paramount Television (through CBS Television Distribution) holds the television rights (inherited from Spelling Entertainment's Worldvision Enterprises), except for ''Cliffhanger'', which Sony Pictures Television distributes. Lionsgate continues to hold the U.S./Canadian home video rights (via a new output deal with StudioCanal), while the international home video rights are held by a different company for each country. For example, the UK rights are with Momentum Pictures (a subsidiary of Alliance Atlantis) and the Australian rights rest with Universal Studios. Also, Lionsgate spun off its Canadian distribution arm as Maple Pictures in 2005, hence the Canadian video rights rest with Maple. The only Carolco films not included in the deal are ''Cliffhanger'', Aces: Iron Eagle III, Last of the Dogmen, Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo, and Showgirls; the rights to these have been retained by their original theatrical distributors (TriStar Pictures, New Line Cinema, Savoy Pictures/HBO, Streamline Pictures, and United Artists, respectively). However, Lionsgate does own some ancillary rights to the original Stargate, and full rights to Wagons East. Filmography 1970s *''The Silent Partner'' 1980s 1980 *''The Changeling'' 1982 *''Queen Millenia: The Movie'' (with Walt Disney Pictures, United Artists, and Toei Company, Ltd.) *''Superstition'' (with Panaria and Almi Pictures) *''Arcadia of My Youth'' (with Walt Disney Pictures, United Artists, and Toei Company, Ltd.) *''First Blood'' (with Orion Pictures) 1983 *''Crusher Joe'' (with Walt Disney Pictures, United Artists, and PolyGram Pictures) 1984 *''Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer'' (with Walt Disney Pictures, TrIStar Pictures, Kitty Films, and Toho Company, Ltd.) 1985 *''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' (with TriStar Pictures) *''Dagger of Kamui'' (with Walt Disney Pictures) *''GoShogun: The Time Stranger'' (with Walt Disney Pictures) 1987 *''Angel Heart'' (with TriStar Pictures) *''Extreme Prejudice'' (with TriStar Pictures) *''Fight! Iczer-1'' (with Universal Pictures) *''Nightflyers'' (with The Vista Organization) *John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness (Universal Pictures handled American and Canadian distribution, Carolco distributed the film in all other territories) 1988 *''Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw'' (with TriStar Pictures and The Maltese Companies) *''Appleseed'' (with Cannon Films) *''Rambo III'' (with TriStar Pictures) *''Red Heat'' (with TriStar Pictures) *''Iron Eagle II'' (with TriStar Pictures) *''Watchers'' (with Universal Pictures) 1989 *''DeepStar Six'' (with TriStar Pictures) *''Gunbuster'' (with Universal Pictures) *''Dangaioh'' (with Universal Pictures) *''Pathfinder'' (subtitled version) (made in Norway) *''Food of the Gods II'' (with New Line Cinema) *''Lock Up'' (with TriStar Pictures and White Eagle) *''Johnny Handsome'' (with TriStar Pictures) *''Shocker'' (with Universal Pictures) *''Music Box'' (with TriStar Pictures) 1990s 1990 *''Mountains of the Moon'' (with TriStar Pictures) *''King of New York'' (with New Line Cinema and Seven Arts) *''Dangerous Passion'' (made for TV) *''Shattered Dreams'' (made for TV) *''Total Recall'' (with TriStar Pictures) *''Air America'' (with TriStar Pictures) *''Jacob's Ladder'' (with TriStar Pictures) *''Narrow Margin'' (with TriStar Pictures) *''Repossessed'' (with New Line Cinema) *''Babies'' (made for TV) *''Hamlet'' (with Warner Bros. Pictures, Icon Productions, and Nelson Entertainment, although Carolco was solely responsible for international distribution) 1991 *''L.A. Story'' (with TriStar Pictures) *''The Doors'' (with TriStar Pictures, Bill Graham Films, and Imagine Entertainment) *''The Dark Wind'' (with New Line Cinema, Le Studio Canal+, and Seven Arts, Columbia Pictures re-released the film in 1993) *''Rambling Rose'' (with New Line Cinema and Seven Arts) *''Get Back'' (with New Line Cinema and Seven Arts) *''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' (with TriStar Pictures and Lightstorm Entertainment) *''Ranma ½: Big Battle of Nekonron'' (with Walt Disney Pictures and TriStar Pictures) 1992 *''Basic Instinct'' (with TriStar Pictures, Silver Pictures, Le Studio Canal+, and Nelson Entertainment) *''Aces: Iron Eagle III'' (with New Line Cinema and Seven Arts) *''Mario and the Mob'' (made for TV) (with Warner Bros. Television and American Broadcasting Company) *''Ranma ½: Battle of Togenkyo'' (with Walt Disney Pictures and TriStar Pictures) *''Universal Soldier'' (with TriStar Pictures) *''Chaplin'' (with TriStar Pictures) 1993 *''Cliffhanger'' (with TriStar Pictures and Le Studio Canal+) 1994 *''Mona Must Die'' *''Ranma ½: Team Ranma vs. the Legendary Phoenix'' (with Walt Disney Pictures and New Line Cinema) *''Wagons East!'' (with TriStar Pictures) *''Stargate'' (with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Le Studio Canal+) 1995 *''Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo'' (with Streamline Pictures, though Carolco only distributed the film during its limited theatrical release) *''Showgirls'' (with United Artists and Le Studio Canal+) *''Last of the Dogmen'' (with Savoy Pictures) *''Cutthroat Island'' (with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) 2000s 2000 *''Baby and Me'' (with TriStar Pictures) 2001 *''Untitled Pocket Monsters Prequel'' (with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) *''Full Moon wo Sagashite'' (with Warner Bros. Pictures, SpyGlass Entertainment, and 1492 Pictures) 2002 *''Kaze Hikaru'' (with Paramount Pictures) *''Nana'' (with Paramount Pictures) 2004 *''Tokyo Boys and Girls'' (with United Artists) *''Hikaru no Go'' (with Paramount Pictures and Lucasfilm Ltd.) 2005 *''Gate Keepers'' (with Walt Disney Pictures and Lucasfilm Ltd.) *''Amazing Agent Luna'' (with Walt Disney Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures) 2006 *''Princess Tutu'' (with Walt Disney Pictures) *''Digimon Adventure'' (with Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, and Jim Henson Pictures) *''Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne'' (with Warner Bros. Pictures) *''You're Under Arrest!'' (with Walt Disney Pictures) 2007 *''Thousand Years of Snow'' (with Paramount Pictures and RKO Pictures) *''Absolute Boyfriend'' (with TriStar Pictures) *''La Corda d'Oro'' (with Walt Disney Pictures, 1492 Pictures, and Gaumont) *''Iczer-One: An IMAX 3-D Experience'' (with Universal Pictures) *''Vampire Knight'' (with TriStar Pictures and Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica) *''Pokémon the First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back'' (with The Pokémon Company) (originally distributed by Screen Gems and 4Kids Entertainment from 1999-2007) *''Pokémon the Movie 2000: The Power of One'' (with The Pokémon Company) (originally distributed by Screen Gems and 4Kids Entertainment from 2000-2007) *''Pokémon 3 the Movie: Spell of the Unown'' (with The Pokémon Company) (originally distributed by Screen Gems and 4Kids Entertainment from 2001-2007) *''Pretty Cure'' (with Walt Disney Pictures, Malpaso Productions, and Interscope Communications) *''Time Stranger Kyoko'' (with Walt Disney Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, Nu Image Films, and Millenium Films) *''The Mysterious Play'' (with Walt Disney Pictures and Paramount Vantage) 2008 *''Ouran High School Host Club'' (with Red Wagon Entertainment) (distributed by Paramount Pictures in the UK, Village Roadshow Pictures in Australia, and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and CBS Theatrical Films in the USA) *''Chinese Democracy: The Tour'' (with Universal Pictures) *''Ultra Maniac'' (with Walt Disney Pictures and Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica) *''Hana-Kimi (or, For You in Full Blossom)'' (with Walt Disney Pictures, TriStar Pictures, and Amblin Entertainment) *''Iczer-Three: An IMAX 3-D Experience'' (with Universal Pictures) *''Pretty Cure Max Heart'' (with Walt Disney Pictures, Malpaso Productions, and Interscope Communications) 2009 *''MeruPuri'' (with TriStar Pictures and Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica) *''Pokémon - Giratana and the Sky Warrior'' (with The Pokémon Company) *''Iczelion: An IMAX 3-D Experience'' (with Universal Pictures) *''Digimon Adventure 02'' (with Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, and Jim Henson Pictures) *''The Gentlemen's Alliance Cross'' (with Walt Disney Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Heyday Films) *''Pretty Cure Splash Star'' (with Walt Disney Pictures, Malpaso Productions, and Interscope Communications) 2010s 2010 *''SuperGals!'' (with Walt Disney Pictures and Summit Entertainment) *''Yes! Pretty Cure 5'' (with Walt Disney Pictures, Malpaso Productions, and The Halcyon Company) 2011 *''Yes! Pretty Cure 5 Go Go!'' (with Walt Disney Pictures, Malpaso Productions, and The Halcyon Company) 2012 *''Fresh Pretty Cure'' (with Walt Disney Pictures, Summit Entertainment, and The Halcyon Company) External links * *Mario Kassar http://www.mariokassar.com *http://carolcofilms.com/index.htm *http://carolcofilms.com/sequels.htm *http://www.closinglogos.com/page/Carolco+Pictures Category:Companies established in 1978 Category:Companies established in 1999 Category:1995 disestablishments Category:Carolco films